Do you ever feel like you will never get caught up with those day to day business tasks? Seriously, does the to-do list EVER END? Will I ever wake up and say, “I’m finally caught up with everything!” Most likely not in this day and age of entrepreneurship. Technology is forever evolving, the ideas keep coming, and the implementation period is ongoing. So if you’re not willing to take action, who will? Especially if you’re a solo entrepreneur like me.

With so many great projects planned for this space it’s time to make a change. Basically it’s time to get my shit together.

Today I’m sharing a list of tips to help you and myself stay active with our business responsibilities.

We can do this together! Are you in?

Here’s my top 5 tips on how to stay productive. Take notes and get your phone out because there’s a couple of apps you’ll want to check out.

Prioritize your tasks. Check for deadlines first and move those items up to the top. Once the closest deadline is at the top examine what you have left. Decide what’s more important and will be the most beneficial to your business? Move those items accordingly. Continue until you’re satisfied with what’s in front of you. Now what? Have you heard of Asana? It’s AWESOME and it’ll help you keep track of your work. Download the app and plug in your projects.

Set a goal of completing 3 tasks per day. Obviously this number depends on your schedule and the size of the goal, but three is a good number for me. I’m a PC user so Google Calendar is helpful with remembering my 3 tasks for the day. I usually sit down once a week and look at what I want to accomplish. Fill in your calendar for what works for you.

Organize your work space. And your passwords. LastPass is AWESOME and it’s a huge time saver, check it out here. Back to your work space. If the creative chaos of papers everywhere works for you then roll with it. I’m one to have everything in it’s place even if it means having several tabs opens at once and twenty sheets of paper in front of me. I know where everything is and where it all goes when I shut down for the night. Prep your area to what best suits you.

Schedule in breaks. For me it’s a nap. You’d be surprised what a 20 minute catnap can do for you. Stay hydrated and have a healthy snack handy.

Set a timer. This works wonders for me. Most smartphones come with this capability. Or if you like the old fashioned egg timers, go for it. There’s something about the ticking noise that keeps me on track. When I sit down to work on something I start the timer for let’s say 20 minutes. If I’m not finished at the end I add another 15. It’s not that I have to finish in that allotted time, it simply helps me stay focused.

Bonus tip: Stop using the word to-do lists and use goals instead. Overall the word goal just sounds better. Can we agree on that? Waking up knowing what goals you’re going to conquer for the day will add a little pep in your step.

Any additional tips to add? Leave a comment below.

Do you know another entrepreneur who would find this post beneficial? Feel free to share it with them. Be sure to pin it so you can reference back to it later if you feel like you’re falling off track.

Welcome to Behind the Curtain! A brand new series in which I’ll be interviewing creative entrepreneurs that I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with. This goal has been on my to do list for a very long time and today it became a reality. SO EXCITED! #pinchme 🙂

Please note: This post contains affiliate links. The content and opinions below are 100% mine. I take pride helping others promote their products/services in which I have used and can back 100%.

As mentioned in the video, if you would like to join Petrina’s FREE 5 Day Video Confidence Challenge sign up here. We’re currently on Day 3 but you can catch up over the weekend. Her teaching style is clear and straight to the point. If you’re dedicated to the challenge and do the work, you will see results!

Here’s a simple DIY project that you can complete in less than 10 minutes. That’s right 10 minutes and under $10 bucks!

Last week I was in the grocery store staring at this huge pallet of pumpkins. Surprisingly they caught my eye since I never really got into the whole pumpkin carving tradition. Perhaps because they seem to spoil so quickly once being cut into.

I’ve seen where people decorate with puffy stickers and various other characters but that didn’t fit my style. That’s when an idea popped into my head.

A hashtag pumpkin. That’s it! I’ll create a hashtag pumpkin only I’ll substitute the knife with a paintbrush.

I ran to Michaels to pick up some paintbrushes and black acrylic paint. Grabbed a 5×7 piece of white paper from the recycle bin and I was all set.

After gathering the supplies, I’ve listed in the image above, here’s what you do next.

Wipe off the pumpkin with a damp paper towel to remove any dirt.

Squeeze a nice amount of paint onto the piece of paper. Depending on how many pumpkins you’re creating will determine how much you need. Using the paintbrush, practice your hashtag on the paper first. This step is not necessary but I found it helpful in deciding which paint brush to use.

Then simply apply the hashtag to the pumpkin.

Allow the paint to dry and you’re done! You can also turn the pumpkin around and paint another hashtag on the backside.

Simple right? And the best part is that it’ll last longer than a carved pumpkin. #winning

Total cost for this project was approximately $8.85. The pumpkin was @2.99, paint .89 cents, brushes 2., and the various gourds were .99 cents each.

Stay tuned for more creative DIY projects. I’ve got several ideas where I focus solely on my obsession with hashtags. 🙂